


The future and the ferris wheel

by skriftlig



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-09
Updated: 2012-08-09
Packaged: 2017-11-11 18:46:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/481687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skriftlig/pseuds/skriftlig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire stands on the highest point of the ferris wheel and looks out over the carnival. But when she tries to step towards a brave new world, someone stops her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The future and the ferris wheel

She's nearly at the top. A few more rungs on the huge steel structure and she will finally be able to reveal her ability to the world.

Claire stands on the highest point of the ferris wheel and looks out over the carnival. There are ripped tents and collapsed poles strewn over the ground; the wreckage of Samuel's failed plan and the stampede of his would-be victims fleeing Central Park. The carnival is empty now, save for the small crowd of waiting journalists gathered at the bottom of the ride. A wry smile curves her lips as she realises these are the last few moments before she changes the world forever. Claire's smile grows; this could be the beginning of a brave new world.

She takes a step forward, or she tries to. But her legs won't move. Her limbs are locked and with a little experimenting, she discovers she can only move her head.

Suddenly there's a noise from below. One of the cameras pointing her direction is spitting flames and the cameraman is lying meters away, motionless. As she watches, there's a crackling sound and three more cameras explode in a flash of blue electricity, their owners sent flying backwards through the air. Claire can hear screams and someone shouting for help as the journalists start to panic.

Claire only knows one person who has electricity manipulation and she spots him easily, a small figure standing next to a smaller figure she recognises as her uncle. Her anger and frustration rises—the one thing she could control, her only active weapon in this never-ending battle, was her ability to tell the world about her power. And he won't even give her that. A furious tear spills down her cheek.

She glares as she watches Sylar run after Peter towards the group of terrified journalists, as if he didn't know exactly what he was doing to them.

“It's not him.”

A voice speaks quietly next to her. If she hadn't been frozen to the ferris wheel she probably would have toppled off in surprise. Claire snaps her head up to look at the empty space the voice had come from.

“Who's there?” she asks, eyes desperately searching in the darkness.

Slowly a figure comes into view. It isn't the immediate now-you-see-me-now-you-don't appearance that comes with Peter's invisibility or Hiro's time-travel. He gradually shimmers into the air next to her.

He's tall with black hair and he looks only a little older than her, but on top of the unlit ride she can't make out much more of his appearance. He gazes at the scene beneath them almost regretfully.

“They'll be alright.”

He seems to be telling himself more than her.

“Just a few burns,” he murmurs.

He steps back and Claire feels him relinquish control over her body. She takes one fleeting look at the ground below. The journalists have quietened, and the injured people are being tended to. With a flash of relief she sees her father standing safely among the crowd, organising people to put out the last few patches of flames. Everyone has forgotten about the cheerleader on the ferris wheel. With no-one left in any state to witness her planned jump, she turns away from the edge.

The shimmering guy has clambered down into one of the seats. He looks back at her and silently gestures to the space next to him.

Curiosity beats cautiousness and Claire follows him.

She wants to confront him. She wants to know why he stopped her and she wants to tell him he has no right. He's staring straight ahead as she climbs over the metal bars. There's something oddly recognisable about him although she's sure they've never met. Claire lowers herself next to him and with a groan the old ride begins to move. They are sitting so close, squashed into a seat that was clearly not made for comfort, that when a flashing bulb briefly illuminates their chair Claire gets a glimpse of long dark eyelashes and scars in pale skin stretched over a sharp jawline.

“Who are you?” she demands, twisting in the seat to face him.

He looks at her for the first time close up and even in the night time gloom she can't miss how his eyes hungrily roam over her face before he looks away again. It's unnerving how his face feels familiar.

“I've come from the future. I came back to stop you revealing your abilities.”

He pauses and glances at her again.

“I'm sorry,” he offers.

Claire is momentarily speechless, although she's not inexperienced with time-travellers. For a second she's completely intrigued, but anger returns to her quickly.

“I won't hide any more. I won't run away and try to blend in and watch people like me get rounded up like criminals.”

She realises she is shouting and takes a calming breath. He looks genuinely sorry which makes arguing harder. She realises for the first time since she got out of the trailer how exhausted she is.

“I know you're fed up of hiding.”

This is not what she was expecting, but he goes on before she can open her mouth to question it.

“You want to create a better life for us. I understand. But showing your power here today doesn't bring that. Trust me. They never stop hunting us.”

Claire slams back against the seat. She thinks of the company, the prison cells and the experiments. She thought revealing her ability would put an end to that, but apparently it doesn't. The chair rocks with her defeat.

They are half-way to the ground when she speaks again. Less accusatory this time.

“How do you know what I want anyway?”

He doesn't react. She thinks he hasn't heard her and is about to ask again when he answers.

“I'm your son.”

She would laugh at the absurdity of it but she's too tired to do anything more than gape at him.

“What?” she asks eventually.

It sounds stupid even to her but she can't think of a better response. He smiles at her.

“You- I mean future you,” he corrects, “said you'd be reluctant to believe me. I was told to tell you about the time Lyle decapitated one of your bears because you told him he was adopted. That Noah's dying wish in the caravan was that you never reveal your ability. And that you once had a thing with a girl named Gretchen from your college.”

It was his slight wince, a son's anguish at hearing things about his mother's sex life, that convinced Claire more than the actual details. She can't think of anything to say, but, apparently happy to have found another topic of conversation, he covers her awkward silence.

“I wasn't told to tell you that your cooking sucks or that I never liked the nickname 'Ben', but I guess now you know that too.”

His tone is light, but his eyes search hers for confirmation. Acceptance. Belief.

Claire's head is reeling. She wants to say something supportive, something comforting to reassure them both but she can't find the words.

“It's better than Claire-Bear, so be grateful,” is all she can manage.

When they reach the ground, the ride stops to let them off. She's swept into a hug from her father and another from Peter. Noah questions the shimmering man as soon as he steps out of the chair. He tells them the same story he's told Claire. _Almost the same._ He doesn't mention the part about his mother.

He gives sufficient details about government agencies, methods of experimenting and people Claire's never heard of with dangerous abilities to satisfy Noah and Peter is placated when he offers to go to Matt Parkman to confirm his story.

As the four of them walk out of the carnival together, Claire notices Sylar assisting an ambulance crew with the last cameraman. He doesn't approach when he sees them but he gives a brief nod to Peter. The ambulance drives away and it's flashing light illuminates Sylar's face as he watches them leave impassively. Even tinted with the strange shade of red, Claire suddenly realises why the stranger's features are so familiar. She looks from one to the other, perfect copies of dark eyebrows and sharp jaw lines, and feels her legs start to collapse under her.

She always thought her regeneration stopped her from fainting, but apparently discovering Sylar is the father of her future child is the one thing Claire's ability can't protect her from.


End file.
